A/N: Sorry it has taken a while for me to get this up. Chapter 6 and I have some major issues! It could have gone so many directions and I have fought with it for days, but it is finally finished and I think it's exactly where I want it to be. I'm sure there are some kinks still; I guess I'll have to work with them. It's 99% flashback, and the flashback takes over a nearly 3 year time period. There are still some holes in the story that will be cleared up in a chapter soon. I really hope you like it! Please, review, they make my day!

CHAPTER 6

*Flashback*

As a rookie, the six newest officers of Fifteen learned a few things: it's better to say nothing and have them think you are stupid than open your mouth and prove it, nobody likes a know it all and finally, you are not just a cop. You are a medical technician, mechanic, judge, plumber, youth intervention specialist and marriage counselor; you never know what you will be faced with in a day's work. Moreover, they had learned that being a cop was hours upon hours of boredom, broken up by moments of sheer terror.

To celebrate their being cut loose; those six surrounded a table at the Penny. They had been through good and bad, tragedy and heartbreak, success and failure, and they finally felt like they had all succeeded.

"Here's to being the best damn coppers Toronto's ever seen!" Frank lifted his beer to toast.

"I'll drink to that," added Oliver, who was rather preoccupied with his fiancée, Zoë.

"Want another drink?" Sam looked to Emma.

"Yeah, thanks," she smiled at him, and turned to Noelle.

"What's going on with you two?" she asked.

"Nothing, we're just friends."

"Right. Yeah, sure, okay," Noelle looked away and took a sip of her drink.

A few minutes later Sam came back, "…Jameson straight up, two ice cubes."

"Ah! Thank you!"

He sat down across from her, in between Luke and Oliver. She turned towards Noelle again, only to find her staring at her, "…what?"

"He knew exactly what to get you?"

"Noelle, we've been working together now for a year. Not to mention the time at the academy, I would probably take offense if he didn't know."

"Uh-huh," she shook her head and rolled her eyes.

Is it really that obvious? She looked across the table to Sam, the way that man made a t-shirt and jeans look completely amazed her.

Sam looked across the table to Emma. The things she can do with a t-shirt and jeans. Her hair was down, she had on very little make-up and she was in a white t-shirt and jeans; she was effortlessly beautiful. Quit being a coward and just make your move. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the hockey tickets he had for tomorrow night, he was going to take Luke or Jerry but Emma was a hockey fanatic and these were amazing seats to a huge game. He got up and walked over to Emma, "…Em, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure thing," she stood up and followed him outside, "…what's up?"

"I have an extra ticket to the game tomorrow night, you wanna go?"

"Do I ever!" she jumped up and hugged him.

"Great! I'll pick you up at 6:00."

Emma was finishing getting dressed when she heard Sam knocking, she ran to the door and opened it, "…hey, give me like two minutes! Make yourself at home," and she disappeared down the hallway. Only to emerge less then a minute later, ready to go.

One thing was for sure, they never ran out of things to talk about. Everything came so naturally between them, they could go on and on about anything from politics to sports to food to music, the list was endless. They were comfortable with each other, and that was refreshing for both of them.

Sam looked around the stands at the game, many of the women sat there, playing on their cell phones. Most of them were playing on the cell phones and the majority of those who were not looked miserable and only a handful of them were dressed for a hockey game, not Emma. She was yelling, jumping up and down, drinking and Sam loved it.

Men had sort of an unspoken rule about taking women to games, mainly because they seemed to ruin it for him. There is nothing worse than watching her sit there unhappily when you could be having the time of your life.

"I'll be right back, I'm gonna go find a bathroom," she said as she set her beer down, Sam nodded. She walked towards the restroom, only to find a line that lined the hallway. No way in hell. I'll miss the rest of the game. She looked to the men's restroom, not a soul. She quickly did what she had to do and returned to her seat.

"That was quick," he looked as she sat down.

"You don't even want to know."

"I'll take your word for it."

The kiss cam came on a few minutes later, "…oh, I love when they do this!"

They watched on as couples and strangers were put on the spot; when they kissed people clapped. Suddenly, two very familiar faces flashed on the screen. Sam turned to Emma, put one hand on each cheek, pulled her close and kissed her.

"I've waited so long to do that."

"You really shouldn't have waited," she leaned forward to kiss him again.

"Sammy?"

"Yeah?" he said, as he lay on his stomach with his eyes shut…

"I promised my dad we'd go to lunch with him," she laid down next to him on the bed and put her hand on top of his.

"It's 9:00 in the morning, Em. Lunch isn't until noon," he kept his eyes shut.

"I know, but I have to go get him a birthday present."

"What exactly are you getting at?" His eyes still shut.

"I want you to go to the store with me," she asked, he grunted and buried his face in the pillow, "…I know you hate it, but I really don't want to go alone." Sam laid there a minute longer, then got out of bed and walked towards the bathroom, in nothing but his boxer briefs, "…thank you!" She could not help but stare as he walked away.

Sam hated shopping, like many men, so he held Emma's hand and followed her from store to store. He kind of felt like a dog; obedient, silent unless asked to speak, following her every move as if he were her shadow. Normally, this would drive him insane, but today it didn't seem so bad.

After they finally found the gift, they made their way out of the chaos, "…did you call your dad and tell him we're on our way?"

"No," she took out her phone and dialed then she walked ahead, talking with her dad. As they passed by the jewelry store, Sam couldn't help but take a quick look in the display case. He took notice as a couple, who must have been similar in age to himself and Emma, were handed a ring, he assumed they had it sized. He watched on as the young man dropped to one knee, "…Amy, I would love nothing more than for you to be my wife; so again, I ask…will you marry me?"

"Sammy, you ready?" Emma walked up behind him and rested her chin on his shoulder. He quickly snapped out of the gaze he was in.

"What?" he turned his head to face her, "…oh, yeah, let's go!"

He put his arm around her and they walked down the hallway, but not before he took one more look back at the newly engaged couple filled with joy in the jewelry store.

"Did she say yes?" Oliver yelled, as he jumped up from the bench in the locker room.

"Shhh," he shook his hands, "yes, she said yes!"

"Why the shushing?"

"I don't know, it just doesn't seem like something you should be announcing to the whole damn world," Sam said as he sat down on the bench, "…I love her, when we started the academy, this is not at all where I had imagined my life would be."

"It'd kind of worry me if it were," Oliver chuckled, "…you don't really get to decide when these things happen. Unfortunately, we don't have much say in who we fall in love with."

Noelle looked over to Emma, whose eyes were fixated on the diamond ring on her left ring finger, "…were you really completely clueless?"

Emma stood up and opened her locker, "…yeah, I mean I've thought about it, about what I would say if he did, I just never thought he'd ever ask. It just doesn't fit his character at all."

"What do you mean?"

"He's Sam Swarek, he's got the mysterious guy thing going for him, the thoughtful brown eyes, that sexy, smoldering stare, the not too-tight but just right t-shirts, the jeans that fit him perfectly. He could have just about any woman he wanted, why me?" she said as she buttoned up her uniform shirt. Noelle stopped what she was doing and gave Emma the Have you lost your mind? look. "What?" she asked when she realized Noelle was staring at her.

"You do realize that you, too, are quite good looking? Swarek has been crazy about you since our first day in the academy."

"That wasn't exactly a one way street."

Every time she caught a glimpse of the diamond in the corner of her eye, Sam's words replayed in her head.

"Honey, I love you more than life itself. If your love has shown me nothing else, it's that life always has so much more to give. Being with you has made every part of my life better. You've made me realize that no matter what may happen, if you are by my side, it could not get any better. I will always be here for you, no matter what we're faced with. Please, let me make you mine forever, I want to hear you singing in the shower every morning, I need to share every breath with you, I need to see your smile each morning, look into your eyes each night for the rest of my life. Emma, will you marry me?"

She couldn't help but smile from ear to ear as she walked out of the locker room.

"Hey, Em! You seem happy?" Luke said as he passed her, she lifted her hand up and showed him the ring. He stopped and walked over to her, "…isn't a little soon?"

"No, I don't think so," she crossed her arms.

"You've only been together a year, not even! What the hell are you doing?"

"Excuse me?"

Luke just walked away. That wasn't awkward or anything. She sat down in the back of the room for Parade, people were acting sketchy. Whispers and glares from one direction, smiles and giggles from another. Noelle, Sam, Oliver, Frank and Jerry walked in and took their normal seats, but Luke had disappeared.

"Before we get going, I'd like to start off by saying congratulations to Sam Swarek and Emma Caley on their engagement," Boyko said, she was incredibly surprised by his tone. He seemed…happy

Sam walked up to the house, he knew they were supposed to meet with the wedding planner today, and he knew he was late. He opened the door, expecting to see Emma standing there, giving him the look, but she wasn't, "…I'm sorry I'm late, Em. I had paperwork to finish up and I knew if I didn't do it, it wouldn't get done."

He walked into the bedroom, waiting for her response, when he noticed all of her things were gone. He opened the dresser drawers, empty; he looked in the bathroom, everything was gone. He sat down on the bed, put his head in his hand and leaned down. I cannot believe she would just leave. He lay back, and felt a piece of paper under his head, he grabbed it and sat back up.

Sammy,

I am so sorry.

I love you.

Em.

Two, almost three years of his life meant nothing. The only woman he had ever really loved was gone. He watched as the tears fell on the piece of paper, the paper that broke his heart. What went wrong?

*End Flashback*

Sam stood to the side and watched as everyone crowded around Emma, everyone except Luke, who stood outside the room, looking in. Sam glanced over, only to see Luke staring at her. He could not help rolling his eyes. Why doesn't he just join in? Emma turned her head and looked at Sam, who quickly turned and bolted out of the room.

"I really am sorry," she whispered under her breath as he took one quick look back at her before exiting the station.